CONDEMNED

Extreme damage forcing inspectors to declare houses uninhabitable

Extreme damage forcing inspectors to declare houses uninhabitable

July 01, 2007|By Angela Mettler, American News Writer

With only four years left on his mortgage, Ron Hettich is no longer allowed to live in his home after city building inspectors on Friday deemed it unsafe because of flood damage. He said he had dozed off on his couch on the main floor on Saturday, when suddenly he heard an explosion and a noise like ocean water splashing up against rocks. The south wall of his foundation caved in, filling his basement with water and destroying everything in it. The basement was the main living area in his home. He set up a cot in his garage on North Dakota Street and later borrowed a friend's camper, which he is now living in. Like many Aberdonians, he's spent all his time cleaning up. “I haven't been to work all week,” he said. He said he had only homeowner's insurance, which won't cover his losses. He is waiting to see if he can get any money from the federal government before he decides what to do with his house. The state and federal governments have yet to decide whether to declare the area a disaster area. As of noon Friday, eight homes in Aberdeen were condemned and deemed unsafe to live in. If a home is deemed unsafe to live in, the homeowner makes the final determination on whether to demolish it, and the homeowner is responsible for that cost, said City Planner Brett Bill. He said Friday morning that around 100 houses could be condemned, but later said he didn't know what the number would be. Hettich said he's trying to keep a positive outlook and jokes about what happened. “Mother Nature was the boss this time,” he said. He said he expected city building inspectors to deem his home unsafe. Two of the condemned homes that were deemed unsafe were vacant. “'Is my family safe here?' is kind of the big question,” said Chad Nilson, a city building inspector. Not all condemned homes are deemed unsafe to live in. It all depends on the extent of the damage, said City Attorney Adam Altman. City building inspectors have done a few door-to-door inspections, but they are concentrating mostly on visiting the homes of people who have requested inspection, Bill said. City building inspectors check homes for cracks in Sheetrock, shifted or cracked foundations and broken cross beams or floor joists. Nilson said it takes an average of 20 minutes to half an hour to assess the damage to a house. The home of Mike and Chris Dick on 17th Avenue Northeast was condemned and deemed unsafe on Thursday. Chris said the sewer backed up around 9 p.m. Saturday. She and her husband were bailing water out of the basement early Sunday morning, when one of the basement walls bowed in, causing a crack in the basement ceiling the length of the house. When the Dicks left their home on Sunday, the water was more than waist deep in the basement. They packed a few backpacks and suitcases with necessities and walked a few blocks in the water to meet Mike's parents. They went back once on Sunday to throw more things into suitcases. On Monday and Tuesday, they used a friend's boat to move everything they possibly could out of their house. Chris said they didn't want to wait until the water receded, because they were afraid they'd lose everything. “I figured once the water's gone, (the house) is going to be even more unstable,” she said. The Dicks were not able to remove large furniture, including a dresser, entertainment center and waterbed frame - but they managed to save most of their belongings. They rented a storage facility on Wednesday. Their insurance claims adjuster visited on Thursday. “He more or less said, 'I'm sorry, you're not covered. There's nothing we can do for you,'” she said. The Dicks and their two children are staying in Briscoe Hall at Northern State University until they find more permanent living arrangements. “We want to find our own place and try to get our normalcy back,” Chris said. The Dicks have been through some tough times - Mike is a cancer survivor. They are trying to think positively about their situation. “We're not quitters,” Chris said. “We've made it through the worst part of it, hopefully.”